Acupuncture Continuing Education News

Acupuncture reduces pain and inflammation for patients with lumbar disc herniations. Kaifeng People’s Hospital researchers compared warm needle acupuncture with standard acupuncture. Warm needle acupuncture reduced serum levels of proinflammatory biochemicals more effectively than standard acupuncture. In addition, warm needle acupuncture was more effective at reducing overall pain levels and restoring daily function. [1]

Acupuncture is an effective postoperative analgesic treatment modality. First Hospital of Haerbin Medical University researchers compared drug analgesia with electroacupuncture for postoperative total knee arthroplasty patients. Electroacupuncture produced better outcomes regarding downregulation of serum prostaglandin E2 levels and upregulation of β-endorphin levels. The researchers commented that low-frequency pulsed current (LFPC) transferred to the body via electroacupuncture was instrumental in producing the beneficial effects. [1]

Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of depression. Guangzhou First People’s Hospital (affiliated with Guangzhou Medical University) researchers compared SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) monotherapy with SSRI plus electroacupuncture therapy. The data driven results determined that the combined therapy increases the rate of positive patient outcomes.

Acupuncture improves stroke patient outcomes. Suining County People’s Hospital researchers determined that acupuncture combined with thrombolytic therapy is more effective than thrombolytic monotherapy for acute cerebral infarction patients. [1] This type of stroke is often referred to as an ischemic stroke. It is due to blood vessel disorders that result in disruption of brain blood flow and result in deprivation of oxygen and nutrients.

Acupuncture restores symmetry to patients with Bell’s palsy, a type of peripheral facial paralysis. Luoyang Dongfang Hospital researchers conducted a clinical trial comparing electroacupuncture monotherapy with a combined protocol of warm needle acupuncture plus electroacupuncture. The electroacupuncture monotherapy group had a 75.67% total effective rate, with 28 out of 37 patients obtaining significant clinical results. The combined protocol significantly outperformed the monotherapy approach to

Acupuncture provides support for Alzheimer’s disease patients. Hebi People’s Hospital (Heilongjiang Province) researchers compared acupuncture plus exercise with exercise monotherapy. Adding acupuncture to the therapeutic regimen improved patient outcomes.

Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of Meniere’s disease. Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers determined that acupuncture alleviates dizziness, tinnitus, and hearing loss for Meniere’s disease patients. The research team documents the acupuncture methods used to achieve clinical results and the parameters used to gauge the measurements of clinical outcomes.

Acupuncture alleviates pain and restores mobility for patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a temporomandibular joint disturbance syndrome involving the jaw joint and muscles. Second Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers examined two acupuncture protocols in a clinical trial. They determined that warm needle acupuncture produced a 93.3% total effective rate and standard manual acupuncture produced an 86.7% total effective rate.

Acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for the alleviation of gout. Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers combined auricular acupuncture with warm needle acupuncture and determined that the combined approach significantly enhances the efficacy of drug therapy. Drug monotherapy produced an 81.67% total effictive rate. Adding acupuncture into the therapeutic regimen of care increased the total effective to 95%. Equally as important, the

Acupuncture alleviates prostatitis and reduces relapse rates. Jiujiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers compared usual pharmaceutical treatment with acupuncture. The results show that acupuncture promotes local blood circulation, improves urethra and bladder function, and alleviates overall symptoms correlated with prostatitis.